Scaled Down Spider
by AnabelleBlack20
Summary: Exactly what the title says. Deaged Peter Parker. Pure, indulgent fluffiness between Irondad and his adorable Spiderson. Rated T for slight language.
1. Chapter 1

Tony paced the floor in the living room, anxiously waiting for his dumb Spiderling to return from patrol. It was way past midnight and the kid was supposed to have returned over an hour ago.

Peter Parker was in for one hell of a lecture.

He'd tried contacting Karen but he hadn't been able to get through, nor had he managed to track the kid's location.

If Tony found out that Peter and his friend Ted had hacked the suit again, both of them were gonna be in for it.

Peter was staying over that weekend since summer break had begun last week and May had left for some much needed girl time.

He'd left at about nine and hadn't returned yet.

Tony was man enough to admit that he loved that reckless, idiotic Spiderchild to pieces. Yes, the same one who was responsible for all the grey hair he possessed. Whilst Peter successfully gave him multiple near heart-attacks quite frequently, there was nothing Tony wouldn't do for that kid.

"Boss, Peter Parker is approaching the tower. ETA eleven minutes."

Tony would've hugged the AI had she been standing before him. He let out a relieved breath he didn't realise he'd been holding.

Sure enough, exactly eleven minutes later, Spiderman swung inside through the window Tony had left open.

The vigilante pulled off the mask to reveal the face of one Peter Parker. "Hey, Mr. Stark."

Tony first scanned the kid with a quick glance and was pleased to note that Peter was unharmed. "You okay, kid? Any injuries I need to know about? Or do I need to ask FRIDAY?"

Peter shook his head. "I'm fine, sir. I swear."

That's when Tony gave way to the displeasure. He crossed the distance between them until he was a foot away and crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow at Peter.

"So Underoos, care to tell me why you've missed curfew? And why was your suit not responding when I tried to contact you? No you put that lip right back in. Pouting isn't gonna cut it tonight, kid."

Peter stared at his mentor and chuckled nervously.

"Aw come on, Mr. Stark, you can't be mad at me now." Peter wrapped his arms around Mr. Stark and squeezed him in a giant hug. "Could you please, please yell at me in the morning when I'm less zombie and more... awake? I swear I'm fine."

Half his words were muffled by the ginormous yawn Peter let out into the man's shoulder which was suddenly very comfortable.

If Mr. Stark was mad at him now, Peter couldn't even begin to imagine how pissed the man was gonna he when he found out what Peter had been doing out on patrol.

His head was throbbing and he was having a really hard time playing it cool. He buried his face deeper into the warm material of his mentor's sweatshirt.

Peter should have known better than to go after those goons without informing Tony. But they'd been stealing some weird tech and he couldn't let them get away.

In the process, the tech had exploded, his suit had come in contact with the chemicals resulting in the temporary disablement and Peter was sure he'd inhaled something he wasn't supposed to.

But of course he wasn't going to mention all that to Mr. Stark. Not if he wanted to spend the remainder of his teenage life without being grounded.

Peter would rather face a bunch of armed criminals than an angry Tony Stark.

Mr. Stark uncrossed his arms and wrapped them around Peter: one hand rested on his back and the other automatically buried itself in the kid's chocolate curls.

"You're damn lucky I love you, kid."

Peter hid his smug but thrilled smile, a smile which turned to a yelp when Mr. Stark pulled away and tugged his ear, a gesture that was both fond and reprimanding.

"Don't think for even a second that you're off the hook. We're gonna talk about this in the morning. For now, permission granted to hit the hay."

"G'night, Mr. Stark." Peter was relieved when he got away. He reached his room and threw himself on the bed without bothering to take off his suit. The cool pillow underneath his head felt like pure heaven.

Hopefully the next day would be more... boring.

* * *

Peter's eyes blinked open to the familiar view of his bedroom at the Compound.

He brushed a hand over his eyes and froze.

Why did his hand look so skinny? Were his fingers always so short?

That's when he noticed the suit. The one he'd slept in last night.

Peter was practically drowning in his suit.

"What the hel—"

He abruptly shut up when he heard the sound of his own voice. He hadn't sounded like that since... forever.

Peter threw his covers off, kicking them away aggressively and ran to the full length mirror next to his wardrobe.

And he screamed.

* * *

Tony was in the kitchen, flipping pancakes and waiting for the kid to show up, all bed-headed and adorable, when he heard a high pitched scream from down the hall.

Panic seized him and he dropped the spatula and ran towards Peter's room.

He stopped short when he saw the kid.

Really a kid.

Tony Stark had gone through a lot and seen a lot. Especially after meeting Peter Parker, he'd soon grown accustomed to the kid's idiotic yet oddly lovable tendencies. Which is why he was almost always prepared for everything.

But nothing could have prepared him for this.

Standing in the corner of the room was a kid who couldn't have been any older than six.

One look at the kid was all it took for Tony to recognise him. He'd seen the exact same child in the photo album that May had given him last week.

That and the Spiderman suit that was hanging off his shoulders and pooling around his waist.

"Peter?"

His voice came out much calmer than he'd expected, but that was just a facade. There was only one thought in his brain at that moment:

_Shit shit shit shit shit SHIT!_

_What the hell had just happened?_

"Mr. Stark." It was a soft whimper, pitiful and afraid.

Tony's legs seemed to have a mind of their own. He walked inside the room and crouched down in front of Peter.

"Wanna tell me what happened?"

Peter shook his head vigorously as his eyes dropped to the floor. "You'll get mad."

The kid's lower lip jutted out, forming what was undoubtedly the world's cutest pout.

Whilst Peter didn't know this, Tony found it hard to be mad at the teenage Peter. Those doe eyes that looked at him like he could do no wrong, the adorable curls that always refused to behave and his perpetually bashful but endearing nature always weakened Tony's resolve when he had to tell the kid off.

He'd dubbed it as the PPE aka the Peter Parker Effect.

Something which had only magnified exponentially with this sudden decrease in size.

He couldn't get mad at this Peter Parker. He'd feel like the worst human being ever.

He'd scold the kid later when the whole situation was less bizarre.

He instinctively brushed a hand through the kid's hair. "Underoos, you gotta help me out here. If we have to fix this, you have to tell me what went wrong, Pete."

Peter felt the heat building up behind his eyes. He hated every bit of this situation. Mr. Stark was being so nice and all Peter wanted to do was curl up against the man and hide.

_Where did that childish whim come from?_

He clutched his suit tighter around him, acutely aware that he was just wearing his underwear inside.

Underwear that was far too loose.

"I'm waiting, kiddo."

Peter clumsily pointed to the camera that had been installed in the suit.

"Right. Should've thought of that. FRIDAY, do me a favour and play the footage in the kid's suit from last night."

And Tony saw it all. He watched how Peter had gone after those robbers, the fight that had ensued, the mini explosion that had occurred when the tech equipment exploded before the screen went blank.

The room was silent after that for a whole minute. Tony sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, barely holding all the emotions at bay.

"FRI, send a suit to retrieve what's left of the explosion. We might be able to know more once we've analysed the tech."

He wanted to be mad at the kid, he really did. But when Tony'd seen how dangerous the situation had been last night, he was honestly just damn relieved that Peter had gotten out relatively unscathed.

Minus this different version of _Honey I Shrunk The Kids _of course.

Another thought struck him at that moment. "What about your powers? Were they affected as well?"

A stricken look crossed Peter's face. "I haven't tried," he whispered.

Peter grabbed the thing closest to him— Tony's shirt, his eyebrows adorably pinched in concentration. And then he let go of it.

He tried again with the wardrobe this time and then again with the nightstand. Tony only watched with increasing confusion.

"My powers are gone! Mr. Stark, I've lost my powers!"

If Peter hadn't been crying before, he most certainly was now. Slowly but steadily, S

soft sobs began to wrack his small frame, the sound completely shattering Tony's heart.

Peter felt miserable. He was half his size, everything was too big, his powers were gone and he couldn't stop crying.

He was sixteen and yet he was bawling like a baby. It seemed that it wasn't just his physical traits that had been affected. He was even acting like a child and he just couldn't stop it!

He blindly swept one hand over his eyes, in a vain attempt to stop the flow of tears. He pressed his palms into the sockets and squeezed his eyes shut.

That's when he felt a pair of large, calloused hands wrap around each wrist and gently pull them away from his face.

"Pete, bud, just... breathe, okay?"

Again, acting on pure instinct, Tony curled his arm around the now little boy and drew him towards his chest. Peter didn't pull away. Instead, he tucked his head in the crook of Tony's neck.

Sure, Tony had hugged Peter quite a few times before, but now it felt different. Kid was a whole lot smaller and that made him even more vulnerable than normal.

Tony pulled back and smoothed the unruly curls that were sticking up in all directions.

"We're gonna work this out, kiddo. I promise." Ultimately, Tony was a mechanic. He fixed things and so he was gonna fix this situation as well.

Peter's eyes were moist and his tiny lower lip wobbled dangerously. "But what if we can't? If we can't, I'll be a kid forever and my powers won't return and I can't be Spiderman anymore!"

He was sporting his infamous kicked puppy look again.

"Pete, you're not gonna lose your powers. We will find a way to get 'em back. I promise. FRIDAY will let me know when the suit is back and I'll go and check out the problem and we'll get to the bottom of it. Besides, I'm Tony Stark, Underoos. I can do damm well _anything_. You're the one who told me that, remember?"

Peter nodded and Tony reached forward and gently thumbed away a few tears.

"Wanna put something else on? Cause I'm pretty sure that the suit's gonna fall off any second and the only thing you're wearing is Iron Man underwear."

"Mr. Stark!" The squeaky voice didn't have the intended effect and Tony couldn't help but smirk.

"I'll be back in a sec, try and not to do anything stupid."

Tony went to his own room and into his walk-in closet. He found an old Stark Industries sweatshirt and figured it would do until he bought some proper clothes for the Spiderling.

He wanted to vent but he was keeping it together for Peter's sake and he liked to think that he was doing a pretty good job so far. It wouldn't help if both of them would get upset.

He told FRIDAY to order some stuff and went back to Peter's room saw him sitting on the bed, his feet dangling off the ground.

"Here ya go, kid. Put this on and give me your suit. I'll take a look at it later."

He turned around to give Peter some privacy and once the kid was done, he turned back.

Something funny burst in Tony's heart when he saw the kid wearing his sweatshirt. It practically drowned the boy and trailed the floor and Tony had never seen anything cuter in his whole life.

_Shit_. He was turning into such a sap.

Peter's stomach rumbled loudly and the boy blushed.

"Yup. Breakfast it is. How's burnt pancakes sound?"

The kid let out a little giggle and it was the most wonderful sound Tony had ever heard. A grin tugged at his lips and he ruffled Peter's hair.

_Goddamn freakin' adorable._

He stood up and beckoned for the kid to follow him out. "Come on, Petey-Pie. Hopefully the kitchen's still in one piece and FRIDAY turned off the stove like a good AI."

* * *

**And that's chapter one for you guys. Review and let me know what you think.**


	2. Chapter 2

"Boss, Peter is asking if he can have Mac and cheese for lunch."

"Yeah, yeah. What time is it, FRI?" Tony was currently elbow deep in the technology that his suit had brought back. Behind him, the centrifugation machine whirled at top speed.

He'd left Peter to play in his room with a bunch of Lego's that the kid had left behind from last time. He'd asked FRIDAY to watch him since the lab was no place for a child, especially one as trouble prone as a de-aged Peter Parker.

Peter had argued of course, promising that he wouldn't do anything stupid, but Tony hasn't budged. So he'd left one grumpy Spiderling under FRIDAY's watchful gaze and come down to the lab.

"It's currently twelve thirty four pm and Mr. Parker is hungry."

Tony figured it would probably be better if he headed upstairs now before the kid got into some sort of trouble again.

"Tell him I'll be right up."

When he went upstairs to Peter's room, he saw the kid sitting on the floor, surrounded by Lego's. He discreetly took a photo on his phone before alerting the kid.

"So FRIDAY told me you're up for some grub?"

Peter turned around and grinned at him toothily. He nodded and stood up. "Did you find anything, Mr. Stark?"

"Yeah, kid. I'm working on it. The suit returned with the remains a while ago and the chemicals are being analysed. The tech is pretty average, it's the chemicals that played villain. Once we get to the cause, I can start working on a solution."

"How long?"

Tony mentally grimaced. That was the hard part. "I'm not sure, kid. It's gonna take a while."

Peter's face morphed into one of pure dismay. "Mr. Stark!" He dragged the word out, getting ready to whine. "I don't wanna be a little kid forever!"

Tony refrained from pointing out that in that moment, Peter was indeed acting like a little kid. He figured that wouldn't be the best way to deal with an enhanced and de-aged Spiderling who was on the verge of throwing a tantrum.

"Easy, Pete. You're not gonna be this way forever. We'll work something out."

Tony didn't tell Peter that once the kid was back to normal, his Spider butt was gonna be grounded for a good two weeks. There would be time for the lecture later on.

"How's Mac and cheese for lunch? FRIDAY told me you were hungry."

Like a true six year old, Peter brightened up at the prospect of Mac n cheese.

"Boss, the items you requested for Peter have been delivered and brought up by Mr. Hogan."

Peter's little nose scrunched up in confusion and Tony couldn't hide his smile.

"Items?"

"Yeah. I figured it would be better if we got you into some proper clothes that actually fit. You wanna come outside and take a look? We can eat after that."

They went outside where Happy was waiting with the parcel. Although Tony had already warned Happy about the situation, his eyes widened in momentary surprise when he saw the Peter before returning to its usual impassiveness.

"Hi, Happy," Peter mumbled, suddenly feeling shy.

"Hey, kid. Got some stuff up for you here."

Tony's ego received an especially large boost when Peter pulled out an Iron Man T-shirt, denim shorts and Iron Man themed sneakers from the bag.

_Great choice, Underoos. _

When Tony noticed Happy's smirk, he realised he'd been grinning goofily for a while. "Don't you have work, Hogan?" He snapped without any real heat behind his words.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll get going, enjoy yourself, Boss."

Peter took his new clothes and went to his room to get changed. He was sorta embarrassed when his mind had inadvertently chosen the Iron Man merchandise, but he decided it was worth it when he saw Mr. Stark's smile.

There had also been an Iron Man plushie in the bag and it had taken every bit of Peter's self restraint and control to prevent himself from hugging that toy.

He was nearly sixteen. Just because he was currently forced to look like a six year old, didn't mean he had to act like one.

Peter took off the sweatshirt Mr. Stark had lent him and bit his lip. The right thing to do was return it, but in the short time he'd worn the shirt, he'd gotten attached to it.

It was nice and super comfortable and the best part was it smelt just like Mr. Stark: his cologne, a dash of freshly brewed coffee and a hint of motor oil.

Finally, he shoved the garment under his pillow and went outside.

Mr. Stark was in the kitchen making lunch. "Hey, kid. Nearly done here."

Normally, Peter would hop onto the island stool. Currently, he was as about tall as said stool.

Tony looked over to where Peter's seat and found it empty. Instead, he noticed brown curls barely just peeking up from behind the island.

Tony blamed his next actions completely on that damn dad-tingle that Rhodey kept going on about.

He walked over to Peter and in one fluid movement, he scooped the kid up and sat him down on the island stool.

He cleared his throat and went back to put the cheese into pan. _Geez, when had he become so... paternal?_

During lunch, the billionaire noticed that the kid's hand-mouth coordination had also been affected. His movements were clumsy, he got a bit of sauce on his face and spilt a little on the table as well. But Peter was blissfully oblivious to everything except the delicious mac and cheese that had captured his attention.

Once he was done, Peter patted his mouth with a napkin and grinned at him. Tony smirked back at the kid and shook his head fondly.

_This kid..._

Tony wanted to go back to the lab after lunch and start thinking about an antidote. But when Peter insisted that he wanted come as well, he decided that it would probably be better to watch a movie instead.

"What'd ya wanna watch, Underoos?"

"What's next on the list?"

"FRI, honey, you heard the kid."

A few months ago, when Peter had discovered that Tony hadn't watched Baby's Day Out, he'd been nearly offended. He had immediately drawn up a list for them to watch every week. _You won't be living under a rock anymore, Mr. Stark. _

"Lion King's next up, Boss. Shall I go ahead and play it?"

"Yup."

Peter curled up against the armrest of the couch, hugging a cushion. This was standard procedure. He would initially lean against the sofa before his head would eventually come to rest on Tony's shoulder with a sleepy yawn.

The movie began to play. Between scenes, Peter would give little comments and Tony would merely hum indulgently at the Spiderkid. Once again, standard procedure.

It was all going fine until the scene where Mufasa died. It appeared little Simba wasn't the only one who was crying. Tony heard soft, tiny sniffles coming from the small form beside him and turned to look at Peter.

"Pete? Buddy, what's wrong?"

Peter pressed his palms into his sockets. "Simba's dad is gone. He's all... he's all alone now."

Tony was at a loss. He knew that Peter was a sensitive kid. Apparently, that trait of his had been turned up a couple of notches ever since he'd turned into a child again. Plus the whole losing your parents thing hit a little too close to home for the boy.

The genius gently brushed the kid's curls off his forehead, simultaneously working on the tiny knots in them.

Telling an emotional six year old that it was just a movie, probably wasn't a great idea. So Tony tried a different approach.

"Simba isn't alone, Underoos. He's got people to look out for him. There's those two adorable weirdos right? I'm pretty sure they've got his back."

"Really?"

"Yup. He's the hero of the story, kid. He's not alone."

After a moment's hesitation, Tony held out his arms, silently asking if the kid wanted a hug.

He hadn't expected Peter to all but crawl into his lap and wrap his short arms around Tony's neck.

The billionaire curled a protective arm around the boy's middle, only then understanding that Peter Parker really was a child at present. Physically as well as psychologically.

"I've got ya, Pete."

Eventually, Peter cheered up but didn't move from his spot. Instead, he adjusted himself so that he was resting against Tony's chest and continued watching the movie.

Tony knew that the kid was gonna be beyond embarrassed when he was back to normal and the genius would no doubt enjoy teasing him later on.

But for now, he gave in to those instincts—_not a tingle, Platypus_— that Rhodey teased him for and slowly began playing with Peter's curls. When the boy only snuggled back against him more comfortably, he took it as a positive sign and continued, occasionally smoothing his thumb over the kid's temple.

About a half an hour later, Peter was asleep and Tony hadn't moved from his spot lest he woke the child up. The deaged Spiderkid's nose was pressed against Tony's neck and one hand loosely clutched the billionaire's sweatshirt.

At that very moment, Tony's phone vibrated in his pocket. Thankfully, Peter didn't stir when Tony pulled out his phone.

May Parker.

Right.

He'd totally forgotten to tell her what their Spiderling had gotten into in the last twenty four hours.

He answered the call. "Hey, May."

"Uh oh. I know that voice. What's happened this time?"

Nothing ever got past May Parker. He owed her the truth. Ever since Tony had started mentoring the kid regularly, he and May had developed a mutual respect and dare he say friendship. He didn't wanna lose that.

"Why don't you take a look for yourself? Try not to let the shock get the better of you. Kid's literally sleeping on top of me right now."

He transferred to video call and carefully waited for May's reaction.

Her jaw dropped and her hand shot up cover her mouth, barely suppressing the shocked gasp which escaped. "Oh baby."

Tony smirked a bit. "That's one word for it."

"What happened?" The fear in her tone instantly dropped his smirk. "Is he... is it permanent? Was he hurt? How... how did this happen?"

"It's not permanent, May. I'll find a way to fix this, I swear." Tony absently carded a hand through Peter's chocolate mop. "Thankfully, he wasn't hurt. Unless you count being hit by stupidity."

He then proceeded to explain everything that had happened, although he did underplay the danger that had been involved.

By the time he was done, the concern on the woman's face had only magnified. "That's it. I'm taking the next flight back."

Tony shook his head immediately. "No, don't do that. You've earned this time and I daresay it's overdue. We're gonna be fine, May. I'll watch the kid and work on getting him back to his dorky, reckless teenage self."

May purses her lips, trying to decide. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely." Tony mentally told himself he was crazy.

"Fine. But if anything happens, promise you'll let me know."

"I swear."

"Thank you." Her expression softened into a gentle smile as her gaze shifted to Peter. "God it feels so unreal, seeing him so little again. He'd just turned six when his parents died. He barely said a word to us in the beginning. He's sensitive, you know?"

"Yeah, I know." And truly he did. Months of interacting with the kid consistently had made him accustomed to Peter's little quirks and traits.

"I'll call again in the evening when he's awake. Give him a kiss from me and tell him I love him. Also that he's grounded. Seriously grounded." She then ended the call.

Tony glanced at Peter who was still blissfully asleep. His hair was still the same, the curve of his cheek was rounder, with that tiny amount of remaining baby fat. With great care, he brushed the kid's cheek with his thumb and pressed a kiss to the top of Peter's head.

He was getting dangerously soft.

Tony was about to fall asleep himself when FRIDAY's voice startled him into alertness.

"Boss, the test results are ready."

Tony thanked the AI softly and stood slowly with Peter still in his arms. He laid the kid down on the sofa, making sure that he didn't stir.

"FRI, keep an eye on him, will you?"

"Always, Boss."

With that, Tony left Peter in FRIDAY's care and went downstairs to the lab, bracing himself for whatever was in store for him and the Spiderbaby.

* * *

**And that's chapter two for you. Let me know how it was. **

** I've already started working on the next update and hope to have it ready soon.**


	3. Chapter 3

Tony had finished going through the results of the analysis and had returned to the living area about an hour ago.

He decided it was probably a good time to go through those papers for the next Board Meeting. Pepper had asked him to do it long ago and he didn't want to have to deal with an angry fiancée.

Ever since he'd handed the reins over to Pepper, the number of meetings he had to sit in had reduced significantly. But that didn't mean he enjoyed the ones he attended.

Tony raised an eyebrow when he heard soft footsteps coming his way. His lips automatically curved into a smile, eyes crinkling fondly when he saw the kid walking towards him, one small fist rubbing his eyes.

"Nice nap?"

Peter nodded, lazily leaning over the arm of Tony's sofa and peering at the files. "Whatcha doing?"

"Boring stuff. Definitely not som— what _are_ you trying to do, kid?"

The boy in question was trying to climb up the arm of Tony's sofa. Trying.

"Wanna sit." Finally successful, Peter sat his butt down on the armrest and swung his legs around so that his feet were resting in Tony's lap.

"Comfy?" Tony regraded Peter, considerably amused by the Spiderboy's antics.

"Yup."

Rolling his eyes, the billionaire rubbed his knuckles gently on the kid's head. "So aren't you gonna ask me?"

"Ask you what?" Peter's eyebrows pinched together in confusion.

"About the analysis, hotshot."

Realisation flashed across his face and only then did Peter seem to recall that he wasn't really a six year old. The previous day's events came back to him and his ears turned pink with embarrassment.

"Oh yeah, I sorta forgot," Peter replied, one hand awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck.

"So good news is, the antidote is pretty easy to nail. Bad news is it's a slow process so it's gonna take at least a week."

Peter shrugged. "A week isn't so bad."

"Great. By the way, Aunt Hottie had called while you were in dreamland."

"Oh. Was she worried?" Peter's voice came out small and hesitant and Tony didn't blame the kid.

"She was, but I told her to enjoy her vacation and that I'd make sure her boy behaves himself. I have her full permission to string you upside down by your ankles if you get into anymore trouble."

"You won't do that, Mr. Stark."

"And why's that?"

"Because I love you and you love me."

It was like the air had been sucked out of the room. One small sentence wasn't supposed to turn him into a mushy puddle. But it did. Tony had always known that he loved the kid.

But to hear this sixteen-turned-six year old say it like it was the absolute, unshakeable truth... that certainly stirred something in his heart.

"You're right, Petey-Pie, I do."

They sat in comfortable silence after that. Tony handed Peter a Starkpad and the boy engaged himself while Tony went back to work.

A while later, the genius' finger accidentally brushed against the sole of Peter's foot which was still comfortably resting in Tony's lap.

A small giggle erupted from the small figure next to him.

Instantly, Tony's lips curved into a wicked grin and he looked at the Spiderling who was staring back at him with those doe eyes.

This time, he deliberately ran a finger across the small foot and giggles erupted once more from Peter Parker.

"All these months and I can't believe you kept such an important piece of information from me, Underoos. I'm hurt. Where else are you ticklish?"

Peter's eyes widened to the eyes of saucers and he wrapped his arms around protectively around his stomach. "Mr. Stark... you wouldn't."

"Oh but I most certainly would. Since I'm feeling kinda magnanimous today, I'll let you have a five second headstart before I attack. Five..."

"Mr. Stark..."

"... four. Better run while you can, Spiderboy."

Within a second, Peter hopped off the sofa and bolted away, still laughing.

Feeling younger than he had in years, Tony got up and chased after the kid.

While Tony may have not been able to catch Teenage Peter because of the whole superpower shtick, Little Peter was much easier to get a hold of, simply for the fact that his legs were a lot shorter.

Within seconds he closed in on the laughing Spiderling and scooped him up. Peter shrieked delightedly, the sound sending jolts of happiness through Tony's chest.

"Mr. S'ark... come on... not fair!"

The words contradicted the laughter in the boy's voice.

Tiny settled Peter on his hip and poked the kid in the stomach, eliciting another shriek from him. "Unfortunately for you, Pete, I call the shots on what's fair and not."

"You're mean."

"I'm absolutely evil, Underoos."

Tony's phone rang and he pulled it out of his pocket, figuring it was probably May calling again.

He frowned when he saw the Caller ID. "I've gotta take this, kiddo." He set Peter down (regretfully) and ruffled the kid's hair.

"FRI, keep an eye on him will you? This should take half an hour tops. Try not to set the place on fire, kid."

Tony let out a strangled gasp as the shield came crashing down into him.

_Once... twice... thrice_

Icy blue eyes bore into his own and in that moment, all Tony felt was betrayed. As he lay in a broken suit, in agony and freezing to death, the only emotion that courses through him was an overwhelming sense of betrayal.

Tired, he closed his eyes and waited. For what, he wasn't sure.

He felt a hand on his cheek, patting him gently. He could hear someone calling him. He knew that voice.

"—ark? Can you... bad dream... Friday lights... Mr. Stark?"

The voice sounded young, so very young and far too worried. The hand was tapping his cheek again.

"Please, sir, can you try and open your eyes?" The kid sounded quite distressed.

Summoning every bit of strength, Tony tried to wrench his eyes open. When he succeeded, a face came into view.

That wild mop of unruly curls, chocolate eyes that had widened with worry. Peter.

He wasn't in Siberia. He was back in his own room with his scaled down Spiderkid hovering over him.

Groaning, Tony sat up. "Pete? What are you... what are you doing here?" His voice sounded raw to his own ears. He instinctively ran a hand through the kid's hair to soften the sting from the harshness of his tone.

"Couldn't sleep."

Tony tried not to let the guilt nag him. He should be the one checking in on the kid, not the other way round.

He rubbed a hand down his face and cleared his throat. "I'm fine, kid. I swear." The words sounded weak to his own ears.

Judging by the disbelieving expression on Peter's face, the kid seemed to agree.

"I'll be fine," he amended. "Why don't you get back to bed? It's insanely late for Spiderbabies."

Peter nodded but didn't move from his spot.

Tony noticed the kid's hesitation, his hardly subtle glances towards the bed, the small fist which was still firmly curled in Tony's sweatshirt.

"What's the matter 'roos?"

The kid bit his lip. "Don't want you to be alone."

Gosh, Peter was gonna kill him from all the adorable that he brought with him. He didn't deserve this kid.

Tony gave the boy's cheek a gentle pinch and gestured to the space next to him. "Alright kid, you win. Get in here."

The relief that flashed on Peter's face assured Tony he'd made the right decision.

The child dived under the covers and shifted around a bit until he had pressed himself against Tony's side.

"Hey, what gave you the right to use me as your life sized teddy bear?" Tony teased, even as his arm came to rest around the kid's shoulders, drawing him closer.

"You were the one who said that I was one of the two people with the clearance level to do this. 'M just 'njoying the pri'lege," Peter mumbled, lazily draping his arm and leg over the man's middle. "Besides, you're kinda fluffy, Missr' S'ark." Half of his words were drowned in the enormous yawn he let out.

"Fluffy? Peter Benjamin Parker, are you calling me fat?" He glared at the kid in mock outrage. "I'll have you know, I've destroyed many for less. I'm Tony Stark: billionaire, genius, ex-playboy and superhero extraordinaire. My enemies tremble at the mere sound of my name." His words would've had better effect if he hadn't been playing with the kid's hair throughout his little monologue.

"More like cuddler ex'ornaire." Peter let out a content hum and buried his nose deeper into Tony's chest. "S nice."

"What is?"

Peter threw a hand up to bat at Tony's fingers which were still combing through his hair. "Uncle Ben used to do this whenever he hugged me. Then May started doing it too. You do it all the time too. I just sorta miss him sometimes: Ben, y'know?"

Tony looked down at the kid in surprise. Peter hardly ever mentioned Ben Parker. All the genius knew about him was that he'd been a good man, one who Peter had respected and loved a great deal.

"I get it, Pete."

"Aunt May had been sad too. She's cried a lot y'know, when he went away. Promised Ben I'd take care of her. I tried not to cry, cause I had to be strong, but ended up crying anyway."

As Peter rambled on softly, Tony marvelled at the wonder that was Peter Parker. To have gone through so much and still be able to smile bright enough to light up the whole room... this kid was a real gem.

"I bet you did great, kid," Tony whispered, meaning every word of it.

Peter fell silent after that and Tony was nearly certain that he had nodded off when he spoke up again.

"What was your bad dream about? Did you get hurt? S'alright, Mr. Stark, you can—" _yawn_ "—tell me."

Tony absently pressed a kiss to the top of Peter's head and brushed his curls before replying.

"I did get hurt, quite a lot, but it doesn't as much anymore,"

And that was the truth. Unlike before, the pain from everything that had gone down that night didn't consume him anymore. Sure, he wasn't over it, but he wasn't overwhelmed by it either.

The answer seemed good enough for Peter who hummed contently. "That's good."

"Hey, Mr. Stark?"

"Hmm?"

"Can I play with DUM-E tomorrow?"

"Nuh-uh, absolutely not. Only one little troublemaker in the lab at a time. You can see him once the teenage you is back. I can at least trust that guy around the chemicals and tech that's down there."

"But I wanna play with him. Please, please, please? I'll be good, I promise and DUM-E will be good too. FRIDAY can keep an eye on us."

Tony regraded the kid who was currently wielding his most powerful puppy eyes. He was certain he'd feel like crap if he denied the kid now.

"You got yourself a deal, kid."

Peter had Tony Stark wrapped around his finger and the kid didn't even know it.

"Now go to sleep or the deal's off."

Peter's answering giggle was the only response Tony received.


	4. Chapter 4

"Let's talk ground rules." Tony crossed his arms and looked down at the duo who had a considerable knack for trouble when together.

"Both of you will lay off the chemicals. No touching any of them. I don't need any fires or explosions in here. Speaking of fires, DUM-E, you stay far away from the fire extinguishers. Peter, please don't drink any of the smoothies made by this little guy. Lost track of the number of times he's nearly killed me with his signature motor oil shakes. FRIDAY will keep an eye on you boys. No funny business, capiche?"

DUM-E beeped softly and Peter flashed him an innocent grin. "Yes, Mr. Stark."

The next couple of hours passed smoothly, much to Tony's surprise. Turns out, all Peter wanted to do was play LEGO and DUM-E just so happened to be an excellent assistant, even if he had tried to make a beeline for the fire extinguisher twice.

Every time Peter wanted a particular piece, he'd ask the bot who was more than enthusiastic to fetch what was required. It was adorable really, to watch them play with each other, completely at ease and oblivious to their surroundings.

Down here, it was easy for Tony to forget about all the crap that was happening in the world above.

Eventually, when he saw that the kids weren't gonna cause any trouble, he left them under FRIDAY's watchful gaze before proceeding to bury himself in his projects.

The antidote for Peter was coming along smoothly and Tony was pretty sure he'd get it done within the next two to three days.

He was pulled out of his musings by FRIDAY's voice. "Boss, Miss Potts has just returned."

A grin made its way to his face. It had been nearly two weeks since he'd last seen her. She'd gone to Shanghai for a meeting and they'd only been able to talk through video call.

"Pete, come on up. I've got an important introduction to make. Pepper hasn't met you yet, at least not pint sized you. No DUM-E, don't look at me like that. I'll bring the kid back later. He's all yours provided you don't try to make him any smoothies or attack him with the extinguisher."

The bot beeped happily and handed Peter a Lego piece.

"Thanks, DUM-E," Peter replied and dutifully pocketed the piece. Tony crouched down to pick up a piece that had scattered away when he felt a weight land on his back and promptly wrap itself around him like a koala bear.

"Seriously, kid? Should've believed, May when she told me you'd been a real octopus back when you were tiny." His words were in contrast to his hands that hooked themselves under Peter's knees and settled him more securely on his back.

Peter's giggle was contagious as he let out an adorable _Mr. Stark_ and pressed his nose into Tony's back.

When they got out of the elevator and on to Tony's private floor, the duo found Pepper Potts in the kitchen.

"Hey, Pep."

Pepper's expression melted into a soft smile when she saw her fiancé, eyes widening slightly when she spotted the child clinging to his back.

"And who's our gue— Peter?"

Tony manoeuvred the child rather deftly to his front and settled him on his hip. "This, sweetheart, is our very own Peter Parker. Pete, say hi."

"Hi, Miss Potts," the boy said obediently and Pepper fell in love with him just a little. The kid was beyond cute.

"Hi, sweetie." Her eyes shifted from Peter to Tony, subtly asking for an explanation.

"Underoos here thought it would be a great idea to recklessly pursue a bunch of dangerous criminals carrying even more dangerous stolen tech. Turns out that wasn't actually a great idea after all. Mr. Parker here got knocked down a couple of sizes in the process. He's also in big trouble once I get him back to normal. Am I missing something else, Pete?"

The last part was aimed at Peter who flushed and buried his face in Tony's shoulder. "Stop embarrassing me, Mr. Stark," the kid pleaded.

Tony snorted and set his precious cargo down on the island. "Kiddo, I think you manage to do that all by yourself," although his words were sarcastic, his eyes sparkled with a genuine fondness and his crow feet deepened as he smiled softly at Peter and ruffled his hair.

Although her expression was the picture of calm, Pepper Potts was squealing on the inside.

Pepper knew that her fiancé was attractive.

She'd seen all modes of his and yet, something about the casual, almost domestic interaction between Tony and Peter stirred an emotion in Pepper's heart.

Tony had of course mentioned Peter to her several times, both in person and over the phone. Even without meeting him properly, she'd realised that this kid was special. He told her about the kid's escapades, the many near heart attacks he'd given Tony and how the boy was responsible for all the grey hair. But the conversation always strayed towards how damn endearingly adorable the kid was, how Peter was just a really good kid who was looking out for the little guy.

In that moment, leaning against the island and grinned at the kid like he hung the moon, looking so _happy_ and oh so— dare she say— paternal, Tony Stark had never looked more handsome before.

She couldn't help but fall in love with him all over again in that moment.

Tony noticed her eyes on him and he blushed slightly at the openly loving expression on her face.

Moving away from the island, he hooked his arms around her waist and pulled her flush against his chest, resting his forehead against hers. "Miss Potts."

"Mr. Stark."

His lips met hers in a deep kiss and her arms wrapped around his neck of their own volition.

The only thing that interrupted them was a gag accompanied by an indignant voice. "Ew, that's gross!"

Tony smirked against Pepper's lips and turned around to face the kid. "Gross? You won't be saying that when it's your partner you're kissing. Speaking of, we need to talk about the birds and the bees once you're you again. Orders from May Parker. Can't wait."

The horrified look on Peter's face made Tony's day.

"What about peonies?"

"Too loud. Won't go with the cream tablecloth."

"Lilies?"

Pepper bit her lip, thinking over it. "Yeah. White lilies it is."

"Awesome. What's next on the list?"

"Let's see. We've gone over the bouquets for the bridesmaids, corsage, boutonnières for the groomsmen, table arrangements and decor and Happy's taking care of the guest list. That leaves us with the gifts and the menu."

"What about your dress?" Tony asked with a sly grin.

Pepper narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't even think about it. You're not getting one tiny peek at it until it's time."

Tony pouted. "I never made you out to be old fashioned, Miss Potts. Can't I see like, I don't know, twelve percent of the dress?"

The old joke drew a giggle from Pepper and she turned to rest her cheek against his chest, right next to where the arc reactor used to be.

"You most certainly may not, Mr. Stark."

They laughed together, stopping abruptly when the bundle curled up on Tony's other side stirred and whined at the soft noise.

Tony shushed Peter gently and lightly stroked the kid's temple with his thumb. "Sorry, sorry sweetheart." The endearment slipped out of its own accord. "Go back to sleep."

He kept up the soothing ministrations until Peter's expression relaxed again and he fell back into a contented slumber.

"Good boy," Tony whispered.

The three of them had curled up on the sofa in the living room to watch a movie after dinner. Peter had drifted off halfway and Tony hadn't had the heart to wake him.

Instead he'd wrapped the kid up in a blanket burrito and repositioned him so that Peter was comfortably lying lengthwise on the sofa with his upper half in Tony's lap. One arm was wrapped loosely around the Spiderling's middle while the other rested across Pepper's shoulders.

After the movie had ended, the couple had decided to go over the wedding preparations.

He turned to Pepper only to find her looking at him like that again, with that smile which made her eyes shine a little brighter, and melted his heart just a little more. "You're giving me that look again," Tony pointed out.

Pepper shook her head with a soft smile. "You're so happy. I don't think I've ever seen you so relaxed and...domestic," she answered, combing her fingers through his hair.

"You're so good with him. You've told me many times that the kid looks up to you and that you didn't know why. I do now."

"And why's that?" Despite the casual question, his tone had an undercurrent of insecurity.

"Because he's seen the real you. Just like me, Rhodey and Happy. He knows _you_. Not the image that the world's made. You're not afraid to let your guard down around him. You love him."

It was on the tip of Tony's tongue to brush her words off with dry humour or a sarcastic remark, but something stopped him. Maybe it was the fact that her words were the absolute truth, or it was the comforting weight of the small Spiderkid tucked into his chest that stopped him from denying her statement.

Instead he stroked the shell of Peter's ear with absolute fondness.

"I love him."

* * *

The next morning, Tony awoke to the sound of voices coming from the kitchen. He'd fallen asleep on the couch last night and Pepper must've covered him up with a blanket.

"FRI, honey, what time is it?"

"It's currently 8:31 am, Boss."

Wow.

A solid eight hours. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been privileged enough to receive such a wonderful gift.

With a yawn, he pulled himself off the sofa stretched his arms above his head. His mind was still pleasantly tingling from the dream he'd had last night.

He couldn't remember all of it, just tiny flashes of a world so perfect yet so real, it warmed him all over.

He found Pepper and Peter in the kitchen in the midst of an animated conversation. The former had a mug in her hand whilst the latter was eating fruit loops.

When Peter spotted Tony, he grinned foothill and waved his spoon excitedly in greeting, not noticing when a few drops of milk dribbled on to his chin.

"Goo' mr'ng, Missr S'ark!"

"Morning, Petey-pie. Hey, honey." He pecked Pepper on the lips before making his way to the kid and ruffling his hair.

With the edge of his sleeve, he wiped the milk off the Spiderling's chin before realising what he'd just done.

_Geez, I'm going full on Papa bear. _

But he found that he didn't mind so much anymore.


	5. Chapter 5

Tony was gonna kill him. Murder him in the most gruesome and terrifying ways the moment he got here.

The billionaire had to go to a meeting since Pepper couldn't attend as she had left for Singapore last night on urgent business.

It was just supposed to be a day out in the park. Nothing was supposed to go wrong. And yet, here Happy was, watching Peter Parker in the MedBay.

Dr. Helen Cho bandaged the kid's knee, all the while soothing him in hushed, gentle tones. She'd already taken care of the sprained wrist and the bruise on his other leg.

The doctor had been at her professional best, hardly blinking when her sixteen year old patient had shown up in a six year old's body.

"There you go, Peter. All done."

The few sniffles were long gone and the kid thanked the doctor with a toothy grin.

The door to the MedBay slid open, revealing none other than Tony Stark himself.

Happy was on his feet instantly. "Boss I'm so sorry, I should've b—"

"What happened, Hap?"

"I was sitting on the bench and the kid had climbed on to the top of the slide. He waved at me and then he sorta lost his footing and fell backward."

"He fell off the slide?" Panic leaked into his voice.

"It wasn't Happy's fault, Mr. Stark. Don't be mad at him."

It was then that Tony saw Peter sitting on the bed with a bandage around his right wrist and left knee and a bandaid on the right one.

He crossed the room in three strides, his eyes scanning Peter for any other possible injury.

One hand automatically wove itself into Peter's curls, gently tilting the boy's head downward and checking for any signs of bleeding. It was more instinct than anything else at this point because the rational part of him was well aware that Dr. Cho has already been thorough in her examination.

"You hurt anywhere else, Underoos?" He asked for good measure. Had Rhodey been here, he would've teased him for being an overprotective papa bear.

_I'm not the kid's dad, Rhodes._

"I'm okay, Mr. Stark I promise. Besides, I've been beaten up way worse so many times."

"Not exactly comforting, kid," Tony replied although he knew that was the truth.

"He's fine, Tony. Don't you worry." Dr. Cho intervened as she approached the duo. "Rest up a bit and you're goo—"

She was interrupted by a tug on her sleeve and when she glanced at her patient, the boy beckoned her to lean in with a shy smile.

She leaned down to allow Peter to whisper in her ear, lips curving into a soft smile at whatever he'd said to her.

Tony raised a curious brow but stayed silent.

"Right, that _is_ very important, Peter. A bit of rest with plenty of cuddles and you're golden."

With an adoring grin threatening to split his face into two, Tony shook his head at this utterly _pure_ kid.

He slid one hand under Peter's knees and hooked the other one around his back and scooped his little bundle up, holding him to his chest.

He pressed a quick kiss to the kid's temple. "Lots of cuddles, you got it, Doc. Say bye, Pete."

Happy joined them on the way out. "Tony, I shoul—"

"Relax, Happy. Not your fault. We both know Underoos here has a knack for trouble. Besides, you heard Helen. He'll be fine."

As he walked out of the MedBay with Peter securely tucked against him, he remembered that the antidote would be ready that night.

By tomorrow morning, the kid would be back to normal.

Now as much as he was looking forward to having his adorable teenager back, he sure as hell was gonna miss... _this_.

True, he'd turned into a right sap and had absolutely tarnished his reputation as the stone hearted billionaire and genius; but it had been worth every second.

* * *

"FRI, what's the update?"

"I'm afraid you are still not permitted to enter the living room, Boss."

"Hope he isn't stressing his legs or that wrist? Cause if that's the case, then I'm gonna have to override protocol."

A pause.

"He's okay, Boss."

"Cool. Let me know when he's decided to let me into my own living room again." Contradictory to his words, his tone was indulgent.

That night after dinner, Peter had shooed him into his room and begged with those doe eyes to stay.

_'It's a surprise, Mr. Stark. So you've gotta stay in here. I'll call you when it's ready.' _

That was over an hour ago.

Tony had a pretty good idea what the kid was up to.

Maybe it was the request to use the extra pillows combined with the numerous trips the kid had made in and out of the bedrooms, dragging pillows and blankets with him, each time waving at him excitedly.

The antidote was ready and the little bottle was currently resting in his pocket, a weighing reminded indeed.

He'd promised himself that he would give it to Peter before the kid went to bed that night

Five minutes later, Peter's head popped into the doorway. "I'm ready."

"Awesome. I was thinking I'd turn into an old man before you showed up."

"Mr. Stark, you're already an old man. There's a lot of grey in your hair, you know."

"Watch it, Petey-Pie. My grey hair is a gift you've so generously bestowed upon me."

Peter giggled. "Come on!"

"Okay, okay, I'm coming! Kids these days. They've got no patience at all."

Tony allowed Peter to take his hand and even closed his eyes when the kid insisted. "If break something, you'll be taking care of me, Pete."

When they reached the living room, Tony was finally allowed to opened his eyes.

The fort was cozy, just about big enough for two people. It was shaped like tent with plenty of throw cushions flanking the entrance. There were pillows on the inside as well, and Tony felt warm just by looking at it.

"Do you like it?"

He looked down at Peter who was gazing at him with those hopeful puppy eyes.

Puppy Parker. Yup, that was his new official name.

"You kidding? Love it. Especially digging that very handsome superhero guarding the entrance," Tony pointed to the Ironman plushie that Peter had placed right in front.

"He _is_ pretty awesome," Peter agreed.

They crawled inside and the moment Tony had settled himself comfortably against the pillows, Peter dived in and plastered himself to his mentor's side.

"Someone's a clingy brat tonight," Tony teased even as his arm wrapped itself securely around the Spiderbaby.

"Dr. Cho said it's necessary, Mr. Stark. We've gotta listen to the doctor. You've said so yourself, remember?"

"Sure do. Pete?"

"Hmm?"

"So what gave you the idea to build a pillow fort tonight?

Even though Tony couldn't see Peter's face, he could see that the tips of the kid's ears had turned pink. "Just because."

Tony didn't press it.

_Better do it now, Stark._

"Kid, you've gotta take your antidote tonight before bed."

"It's already done?"

Tony jabbed Peter lightly in the side, eliciting a shriek from the boy. "I'm the greatest genius in America, Underoos. I'm hurt that you sound so surprised."

Peter didn't say anything. Tony had expected an excited 'Awesome' at least but all he received was silence.

"What's wrong, kid? I thought you'd be happy."

Peter shrugged halfheartedly. "I am. But I'm gonna sorta you know... miss this."

Furrowing his brows in confusion, Tony ran a hand through the thick mop of chestnut curls resting against his chest.

"What are you gonna miss, kid? Being tiny? Nothing will change when you're older again. I'm still the same awesome, supercool guy and you'll be the exact same adorable, geeky and grey-hair-inducing Spiderbaby."

"But you will change," Peter insisted and Tony tried not to let the hurt show on his face.

"How would I change, buddy?"

Peter bit his lip, like he was trying to get the words out and hold them back at the same time "Once I'm older again, you won't be so..."

"So what, Pete?" Tony's voice was gentler than imaginable as he tried to coax the kid. He ducked his head to get a look at Peter's face but the boy's eyes were glued to the pillow in his arms.

"So... dad-ish."

_Oh bambino..._

Tony Stark had decided long ago that he wasn't cut out to be anyone's dad. He wasn't exactly what one would describe as father material.

His own father had been total shit at the job and that's what had driven him to make that call. Plus his own past and his habits hadn't exactly been ideal.

But apparently, that rule hadn't applied to Peter-_goddamn pure adorable_-Parker.

Peter Parker, that goofball of a kid with a heart of gold and a smile that was brighter than the sun.

Somehow this kid — with his infectious smile, and his different versions of _Mr. Stark_, oversized sweaters and ratty converse, his constant rambling, his perpetual need to be good despite all the shit that the world had hurled at him— had squeezed through all of Tony's impenetrable defences and made himself a nice little corner right in the man's heart.

How could Tony not love this kid who looked at him like he hung the moon?

He'd ignored Happy, Rhodey and Pepper when they teased him about him acting like Peter's overprotective dad because he'd been far too terrified to admit that it was the truth. More importantly, he had been too afraid to find out if the kid felt that way or not.

He didn't think he would've been able to survive that rejection.

But now as he heard the words from the kid himself, he couldn't deny it any longer. After months of being emotionally at arms length, he owed this to Peter.

"Peter," he began, the rare usage of the boy's name sounding rather foreign on his tongue. "Look at me please?"

Peter shook his head stubbornly.

"I'll be forced to resort to drastic measures if you don't," he joked, hoping to incite some response from the suddenly silent kid.

When the Spiderbaby still didn't say anything, Tony lifted Peter into his lap, turning the kid around so that the boy was properly facing him. He tapped the six year old's chin with a finger, coaxing his eyes up.

"Peter, _bambino_, if you think a certain Spiderboy's age is gonna affect the way I feel about him, you get that thought out of your head right now. As you so skilfully put it, I love being dad-ish. I'd even go as far to say that it's my favourite thing to be."

The last part was whispered mock conspiratorially into Peter's hair.

Those brown orbs widened adorably. "You don't mind? You're not mad?"

"Mad? If anything, I'm crazy happy. You're my kid, Pete."

Peter's answering smile was bright enough to put the sun to shame. "You're my Mister Stark." He whispered, suddenly shy.

Call him cheesy or clichéd; but in that moment, something clicked into place.

Damn right he was.

Tony was Peter's friend, movie partner, mentor and dad, all wrapped in a gruff exterior with a warm, mushy centre.

"All yours, kiddo," he murmured in agreement.

The silence was comfortable before Peter spoke up.

"I'm ready to take the antidote."

Tony nodded even as his arms tightened around the boy. He was glad he'd asked FRIDAY to take pictures.

"Okay. Queens does need her friendly neighbourhood Spiderbaby back."

"Spider_man_, Mr. Stark."

"Spiderbaby," Tony asserted teasingly.

Still grinning, he took the bottle out of his pocket and held it out to Peter. "Drink up."

The kid took the bottle from him and unscrewed the lid. He took a whiff tentatively. When he found that the odour wasn't unpleasant, he raised the bottle to his lips and drank.

"It'll take a couple of hours for the antidote to take effect. It's best to sleep through it. Might get a little ticklish."

"Kay, Mr. Stark," Peter mumbled, leaning forward into Tony's chest. "S' nice."

"Sure is."

* * *

**And that's the penultimate chapter! **

**Really enjoyed writing this one, hope you guys liked reading it just as much. I've started writing the last one and will have it ready soon. **

**As always, feel free to review!**


	6. Chapter 6

Peter's eyes fluttered open and he yawned widely and stretched himself. He turned on his side, burying himself deeper into his comforter.

He stiffened when he remembered that he hadn't slept in his bed last night. His eyes shot open again and he dared a glance at himself.

His hands were no longer skinny and tiny, the wrist that he'd sprained was completely healed, which could only indicate that his Spidey powers were back.

He ran a hand down his face, relieved to find that his cheeks were no longer chubby.

The antidote had worked. He was sixteen once more.

He was dressed in that same hoodie Mr. Stark had given him on the first day he'd turned into a child and one of his sweatpants. The only explanation was that the man had carried him to his bed and changed him into clothes that would fit.

His ears and neck started to burn as he recalled everything he'd done in the last week. He distinctly remembered the conversation from last night and he couldn't help but feel warm all over.

And had he really tried to thank the Tony Stark by making him a pillow fort? He snorted to himself.

How was he supposed to act now? Did his mentor really mean what he'd said or had it just been a beautiful lie to pacify an insecure child?

Figuring that he would have to eventually go outside and face the man, Peter got out of bed and stretched.

"Hey FRIDAY, where is Mr. Stark?"

"Boss is currently in the kitchen. Would you like me to let him know that you are awake?"

"No thanks. I'll go there myself."

Nervousness churning in his stomach, he brushed his teeth and made his way out to the kitchen. He stopped just at the end of the corridor. From there, he could see Mr. Stark in the kitchen, frying some bacon.

The man hadn't looked up yet so that meant he probably hadn't noticed Peter standing only a few feet away.

He tugged the sleeves of the hoodie over his hands and bit his lip, unsure of how to approach his mentor.

Part of him wished he was a child again, just so he could run to him and get those morning hugs that he'd grown to love. A hand in his hair, a gentle squeeze around his middle, a quick brush of the lips to his forehead; Peter swallowed thickly, trying not to miss all that so soon.

"This bacon isn't gonna eat itself, Underoos. Get your ass in here."

He was startled out of his thoughts by Mr. Stark's voice. How had he noticed Peter?

Peter's eyes locked on the man, only to see those brown eyes crinkle with fond amusement. His hands were itching for that customary morning hug but he contained himself.

He wasn't six years old anymore.

Still feeling anxious, he shuffled into the kitchen and took his usual spot.

Almost immediately, a plate of food was placed in front of him. A familiar hand ruffled his hair before it moved downward to squeeze the back of his neck and he felt warm lips being pressed to his temple. "Morning, kiddo."

Peter ducked his head to hide the smile that was growing wider by the second.

Maybe things wouldn't be so different after all.

"Morning, Mr. Stark," he mumbled, digging into the food. He ate in silence for a bit, enjoying the meal although it was your perfectly ordinary American breakfast.

"So um... what exactly happened?"

"After you took the antidote, you decided to fall asleep on yours truly. I didn't wanna wake you so I carried you to your bedroom since you'd be more comfortable in there once you were back to your cute teenage self. I found the hoodie you'd stashed behind your pillow. I put it on you since it wouldn't be too comfortable waking up in clothes too small for your gangly Spider self. That's about the gist of it."

"Mr. Stark?" _Gosh why did he have to sound so unsure?_

"Hmm?"

"Last night, did you mean what you said? About how you don't mind being my... _dad_?" The last word was scarcely above a whisper, like it was something so delicate that it would shatter if not handled as such.

"I meant every word, Underoos." His hero's eyes sparkled with warmth and his lips had quirked into that half smile he reserved only for Peter. He couldn't help but smile back.

"Thanks, Mr. Stark. Not just for the antidote, for everything else too you know."

Tony's eyes softened at the kid's words. "You don't have to thank me kid." His mouth curved into a teasing smirk. "Besides, all those pictures and videos that FRI's recorded of you are gratitude enough. I'll even show it to you later when we're in the lab. Never met a kid who can be so adorable, nerdy, clumsy and sleepy at the same time."

Peter pouted, his features strikingly similar to a kicked puppy. "You're a cruel man, Mr. Stark."

"Never pretended to be otherwise, Petey-pie. I am what you see: handsome, dashing, genius and unbeatably awesome."

"You're also old," Peter pointed out, quickly darting out of the way when Tony swatted him.

"Okay that's it, I can't take this anymore. I've decided that I like the pint sized version of you much better. He was respectful and well behaved. This teenager is the definition of bratty." With a teasing smirk, he pinched the kid's cheek. "Besides, the little guy was a lot cuter too."

Peter shrugged nonchalantly. "If you want, I could always go out and see if there's any dangerous alien tech lying around. I'll meddle a—Hey!"

Peter rubbed the ear Tony had just tweaked and pouted at the man.

"You go fifty miles within any tech even remotely dangerous; I swear to God, you're grounded until you're off to college, capiche?"

Peter nodded vigorously, not at all doubting Mr. Stark's words. There was just no arguing with him when he was like this. It's like he was in full on Dad mode.

But Peter didn't mind, not one bit.

"Just so you know, you're not totally off the hook."

Peter groaned and slumped forward, smashing his nose against his mentor's collarbone.

"I know. I really am sorry, Mr. Stark. I didn't mean for you to worry so much or to have to take care of me."

"Kid, I'm gonna worry about you either way, so you might as well get used to it. Secondly, as I've already told you a bajillion times: I don't have to do anything. I'm Tony Stark and I do what I want."

"Haven't heard that one before," Peter sassed.

"Okay that's it. Only for that, I'm gonna show Rhodey that footage where you got yourself entangled in your own webbing. You've officially earned it."

Peter pulled back to glance at Tony in mock horror. "No!"

"Yes. There's no changing my mind." His expression turned grim once more. "But jokes aside, what happened this time cannot happen again. You cannot keep risking your life this way, Peter."

"I know, Mr. Stark but you've gotta trust m—"

"Pete, of course I trust you. If you think for one second that I feel like you can't handle it out there, you're wrong. I know you've got it covered but sometimes, things get a little too much even for the best of us. In those times, it's okay to ask for help. I learnt that a little too late, but you don't have to make the same mistake. Ask for help. It's okay."

"I know."

"And yet you don't. Kid, I've got your back no matter what. But you can't keep going like this. If it gets a little overwhelming, you've gotta talk to me. I'm team Spidey, remember?"

Turning red, Peter nodded.

"I took the liberty to add some upgrades to your suit yesterday. Curfew on school nights has been shifted to eleven o' clock. Nope, don't even try and argue, you're not winning this."

Peter pouted but obediently closed his mouth.

"On weekends, you're gonna wrap up by one, one thirty if you really wanna stretch it; but that's all. You will check in with me periodically. If there's something else that needs to be taken care of, ask Karen to talk to FRIDAY and I'll send an Iron Man suit to handle it. If there ever is a moment where you feel like you're in over your head, _call_ me."

"Mr. St—"

"Not finished, kid. As I was saying, call me and I'll come. I don't care what time it is or where you are. Your safety comes first. Always. That's non-negotiable."

Mr. Stark sounded like such a dad at that moment. It warmed him right to his toes.

"Okay, I promise."

"I'll be holding you to that, Pete. And lastly for God's sake if you ever get hurt on patrol, _tell_ me. I don't need you passing out on my floor first thing you come over."

"That literally happened once."

"And that's once too many. You tell me directly, honestly and without leaving anything out. I don't care if it's a damn paper cut or God forbid broken bones. If I have to ask FRIDAY to ask Karen if you've recklessly hurt your scrawny ass, you've got a whole another thing coming at you, Peter."

"Okay, okay. I won't do it again."

Peter gulped when Mr. Stark narrowed his eyes at him, assessing to see if he was telling the truth. Gosh that look was scarier than those criminals he encountered every night. His eyes got all intense like he could see right through Peter.

Yup. Definitely the Dad _look_.

But then his expression softened into that lopsided smile that Peter had grown to love over the past few months.

"Attaboy. Now hurry up and finish your breakfast. Happy's gone to pick up May from the airport and they'll be here in about an hour."

Peter nodded before he froze, understanding the meaning behind the words. "Wait, you mean she's coming here? Now? Why? I thought her flight wasn't due until this evening. Mr. Stark, why didn't you tell me sooner? May's obviously gonna be super mad and you've got—"

"Nope. Gonna stop you right there, Petey-pie. There's no way in hell I'm gonna help you escape May's wrath. You're on your own, kid."

Peter stared at his mentor disbelievingly. "What happened to Team Spidey?"

"Team Aunt Hottie all the way. If May's gonna chew you out, I wanna watch. Preferably with a big ass bowl of popcorn. I'll even give her a few helpful pointers in case she leaves anything out."

Peter glared at the man, although it was clearly halfhearted.

"Traitor."

"SpiderBrat."

"But you still love me."

Tony's smile was almost heartbreakingly indulgent as he bumped his shoulder with Peter's and draped an arm around the kid and tousled his hair.

"Infinitely."

* * *

***Drum roll***

**And that's a wrap on this one, people. I had a great time writing about adorable kid!Peter and soft dad!Tony. I have a few more one shot/ shot story ideas up my sleeve. **

**I hope I can find time to write again soon.**

**Don't forget to review!**


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